Breech-loading fire-arm



N6 Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

- J. TONKS.

BREEGH LOADING FIRE ARM.

Patented Mar. '7, 1882.

minsses.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. TONKS.

BRBEGH LOADING FIRE ARM.

No. 254,728. Patented Mar. 7,1882.

Midi/161mm.

UNITED STATES PATENT FIQE.

JOSEPH TONKS, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARM.

SPECIFIGATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 254,728, dated March 7,1882. Application filed April 4, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH TONKS, of Malden, in the county of Middlesexand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Breech-Loadin g Fire- Arms, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to that class of breechloading fire arms havingthe barrel at its breech end hinged to the frontend of the stock, sothat the barrel maybe tilted upon the stock to open its breech for theinsertion of the cartridge, and to close and there secure itagainst thestock in readiness for being discharged when so desired.

The invention consists principally in a construction and arrangement ofparts for fastening together the barrel and stock and for unfasteningthe same, leaving the barrel free to be tilted upon the stock; forcockin g the hammer from the movement of parts to unfasten the barrelfrom the stock and to leave it so cocked when the barrel and stock areclosed and fastened together; for the locking of the hammer either athalf or'full cock without affectin g the parts which fasten the barrelto the stock, and for other movements and effects necessary for aperfect operation of such class of fire-arms,all substantially ashereinafter described.

In the accompanying plates of drawings the present improvements inbreech-loading firearms are illustrated.

In Plate 1, Figure 1 is a plan view of the barrel at its breech end andthe front-end portion of the stock, the two being locked together. Fig.2 is in part a side view and longitudinal section of Fig. 1, with thehammer uncooked. Fig. 3 is a. similar view to Fig. 2, but with thebarrel open from the stock and the hammer at full-cock. Fig. 4 is asection on line 4 4, Fig. 2. i

In Plate 2, Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5, Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a sectionon line 6 6, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a section on line 7 7, Fig, 1, with thebarrel opened from the stock. Figs. 8 to-15,

" inclusive, are views in detail, the nature of each of which will moreor less appear from the description in detail which follows.

As illustrated in the drawings above described, there are two barrels,arranged side by side, as usual in double-barreled guns, so called; but,as will be obvious, the construction and arrangement of the parts ashereinafter described are as well applicable to asingle as a doublebarreled gun, as will plainly appear. In some respects they are the samefor two barrels as for one barrel, and in other respects require but aduplication to secure similar results as to the cooking, uncocking,half-cocking, and letting oh" the hammer for each barrel.

Inthe drawings, A represents two barrels, arranged side by side, asusual, and B their common breech end,open at each barrel, to be therecharged with a cartridge as desired.

0 is the portion of the stock making the connection for the barrels tothe stock proper, which, as it is to be otherwise of the usual form andconstructiomit is not thought necessary to show in the drawings. I

D is the front end ofthe stock 0, and the end at and by which the openbreech ends.of the barrels A are closed, and this and the said barrelshave a construction and arrangement together for the latter to be openedfrom and closed against the other, and when so closed securely fastened,as will be now described.

E and F are two blocks or lumps upon the under side of the barrels'A,each projecting downward and separately therefrom, the one in advance ofthe other, but both in a common line coincident with the centrallongitudinal line between the two barrels. The forward lump, E-that is,the lump farthest from the open breech of the barrels-is within theopening a, between the forked forward-projecting part, G, of thestock,and it is hung by a transverse pivotal pin, b, thereto, so that itcan be freely swung or tilted thereon, and when the breech of thebarrels is closed against the forward face ofthe stock the under side ofthe barrels will rest upon the upper face of this said forked extensionG of the stock. Each lump E and F issimilarly notched,-as at c, in thesame line with each other and between the hinge-pin b of the barrel andstock, and, in ad ICO - stock, lies within an opening, g,in the forwardface of the stock, of suitable shape to receive it, and its sidenotches, f, interlock with suitably shaped and located lugs h of suchopening, and as the barrel is swung open or closed itswings v into andout of such opening.

it is a socket in breech end of barrels, one at each sideof the lug]E["tl1ereof.--, i

J is a plate or bolt arranged to slide Within the forward-projectin gpart, D, of the stock'U, and in a plane corresponding to the plane ofthe notches c in thetwolunips EF of the barrels when the'barr'el isclosed. This-bolt, at its forward end,'l,entersand closely fills thenotch Z: of the forward lump; E, and back of such end,'}b'y its part m,it enters and closely'fills the notch c in'fithe hinder jluinp,-*F, andbetween thesesointerlock'in'g parts'the boltis cutout, as atn, wherebythe'hinder lump of the barrelsca'n passthrough and thus in and out ofthe :same 'a'sthe barrels are swung upon the stock to open and closetheir breechends. The bolt extends i iitothe stock (3, back of the seatof the b'arretwfithidthe stock, and at such extension itifSbouhectedtospiral spring, 0', arranged-upon ag'uide rod, p, to hear at one endagainsti afixd'bearing; q, of the stock and at the other endagai'nsta-lu'g, r; ofthe-bolt, and i'ii such man to secure at-all timesaforward pre's'sing ofthe bbltethat-isa press: ing of it in adirecti'on'to-interlock it,:a'nd so keep it with the notches of the barrel-"lumpsuntil siicl' es'sure is overcomeand' the boltis mtiv 'tclrand'butof'such interlock:

" K is "it bolt arranged to movwlthin the stock.

tween -"su'cli"arms' andot'herwis'e it is shaped and con'structedways ofthe stock, audit is'limit--- 5 ed in either direetion by the ends of theslott in the bolt and ,the pin B of thestoc'l'zywhich enters 'such slo PThe two bolts J K upon the stock and the two lumps E 1:,having'notehesc,and lug H, having side lugsa'nd notches, together constitute thedevicesof thisinvention for fastening the barrels in their positionagainst and in re- ]ationto the stock herein described, and they areeach and all arranged, and they are'to be relatively shaped, so thatwhen interlocked thejbarrel and stock can have no lateral or upand-downor for w'ard-and-backward movement or play uponeach other, andobviously, if so made, their relative construction and arrangeoutfurther-description.

tion and bolted as before.

. For moving the bolts to unbolt or unfasten the barrel from the stock,mechanism as follows is provided.

L is a lever-handle, turning by its barrel portion u upon a pin, n,which is fastened in the stock just back of the barrel-lug H,that entersthe opening gof the stock, and w the handle end of the lever; 00,21.notch in the barrel portion of the lever L, and in this notch fits astud, y, of the upper bolt, K; 2 is another notch in said barrelportion, below the notch .10, before mentioned, and on the opposite sidethereto, and in this latter notch fits the upper endof a vertical lever,M, which turns upon a fulcrumpin, a, of the stock, and at its lower endengages with a notch, b, in the rear portion of the lower bolt, J behindthe portion of such bolt which engages with. 'the binder lump of thebolts from theirinterlock with the barrels,

as above described, and its swing in the other direction will obviouslywork upon the. bolts in the reverse direction; but-to prevent thisin thecase of both bolts. the lever for the, upper bolt, K, has the wal'l'ofits notch m which then would act upon its bolt shaped so asto then"swing clear of its stud ;1 ,a'n'd"the notch z for the lever M of thelower bolt, J, :has'its wall" IlO force applied to the lever to' move't-hebolts out 1 of interlock'is removed is secured by the reaction ofthe spring 0 applied tothe lower belt, which, acting on such bolt, actsthrough it upon its lever, and thus upon the barrel portion -of theoperating-lm 'er' L, which in turn acts upon the upper bolt, K, as isolwiouswith- 1 In swingingthe barrel into position against the frontface ofthe stock I the rounded portion of the forward block E onthebarrel works against the forward end ot' thelower bolt, and,

working such bolt backward,through it works the upper'b'olt'in asim'ilardirectioinand as a consequence the two bolts areplaceddn position fortheir after interlock withthe parts of the barrels'adapted for them"under the reaction [of the spring when the barrels have reached theproper position therefor andare "in. their proper place relatively tothe stock.

* N is ahammer arranged for one'of'the barrels. c, and when swungto'b'ewbolly or half cocked This hammer'turns upon a fulcrum-pin,

works against a bent spring, and is adaptranged to be set free, and alsothe hammer to strike the cartridge in its barrel, all as ordinarily. Qis an angular lever turning upon a fulcrum-pin at d, and in position atthe outer end of one of its arms, f g, to be worked upon in the openingswin g of the barrels by the lower end, I, of the hinder lump, F, of thebarrels, and thus to move the outer end of its other arm, g, against aside projecting stud, m, of the hammer, and through such stud move thehammer backward as the barrels are opened, and thereby cockit. L

n is a cam-periphery surrounding thebarrel portion u of theoperating-lever for the bolts J K, and o a friction-roll carried by ahorizontal lever, p, resting against said cam-periphery. Thisfriction-roll, in its side opposite to the cam it, rests against astirrup-shaped.

, vertical frame, It, hung upon a center or fulcrum, q, and at the lowerend of one of its arms such frame bears against the-hammer N, as at S,below the fulcrum thereof, and it is adapted by a spiral spring, 4", tobe returned to its. position of rest when the actuating-cam therefor isreturned or returns to its normal position. This cam is so shaped thatin the swing of its lever-handle L in the one directionit will throw thestirrup-frame R in the proper direction to raise the hammer to a full ora half cock, according to the distanceyof such movement, and in itsswing in the other direction it will act in no manner upon the hammers.This stirrup-frame can be as well and similarly connected with anotherhammer for the otherbarrel of the fire-arm, and thus the two hammers becocked simultaneously.

It is obvious that the angular lever through which the hammer is cookedupon the opening of the barrels may be duplicated for the hammer to theother barrel, and the two operated by and through one and the sameprojection or end of the hinder lump, F, of the barrel, or through asimilar projection upon another and similar lump, F, upon the barrel.

8 is a lever in position over the upper side of the hammer, and th rearranged to be raised as the hammer is coc ed. This lever s isconstructed with a knob or raised edge, which lies within an opening orslot at the upper side of the stock, and when such lever is raised it isprojected above the-same. By this means the cocking of the hammer isindicated, and when the hammer is-set free this lever can drop of itsown weight to'its normal position, or be brought thereto by a springsuitably applied.

t is a spring-catch, which is secured in place by a set-screw, u, andhas a lip, 01', in position to engage, except when released, with thenotch w in one side for the wall of such notch to rest against one sideof such lip. The relative arrangement of of the lever-handle, and

stock are released from the receiving parts therefor of the barrel, butto compel a release of the catch when desired to swing the leverhandlein the other direction, and under which. movement the said bolts arepractically unaffected, and only the hammer placed at full or half cock,as the case may be. This feature is desirable, as it leaves thelever-handle L free to be operated to 'unbolt the barrel and stock atall times, but requires an additional movement on the part of theoperator when desired to put the fire-arm at cock or half-cock withoutdisturbing thg bolting mechanism of the fire-arm. V V

The advantage of the intermediate lever, B, is that it changes thedirection of the line of operation on the hammer, thereby securinglonger leverage and less friction of the parts, and consequently thehammer can be cooked more easily.

Having thus described my invention. what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s-

1. The upper and lower bolts, K J, and lever L, having notches m z, incombination with the lug y of the upper bolt, K, and the lever M of thelower bolt, all substantially as and for the purpose specified. i

' 2. The lever L, with the cam a, lever 10, provided with afriction-roll, lever B, and hammerN, relatively arranged and constructedand to operateall substantially as described, for the purposesspecified.

3. In 'fire-arms, the barrelhinged to the stock'and provided withnotched lumps E F, one in advance of the other, bolt J, adapted to fitthe notches of said lumps, a lug, H, having side notches, f, and sidelugs, 01 0, adapted to fit an opening, g, in the stock, in combinationwith a bolt, K, provided with two prongs, 8, arranged to fit sockets kin breech end of the barrel, both of said bolts being operated, throughsuitable connecting mechanism, by one and the same lever, L, by whichthe barrel is locked and unlocked from the stock, sub

stantially as described.

4. In a breech-loading fire-arm, the leverL, pivoted on the upper sideof the stock, and provided in one side of its rear end with the notch10, and devices, substantially as described, operated by the lever, tocook the hammer and lock and unlock the barrel, in com bination with the'dep'ressible spring-catch t, having atone side of its rear end theverticallip 42, arranged to engage the notch in the lever to prevent thelatter from swinging in one direction unless the parts are disengaged,but per itting the .lever.to swing in the other di- I rection of itsswing by whichthe bolts of the rection without manipulating said catch,as

